Troubleshooting - MartinLogan EM-ESL C User Manual

whenever they are not in use. A power strip is an
easy way to do that.
Could my children, pets, or myself be shocked by
the high-voltage present in the electrostatic panel?
No. High voltage with low current is not dangerous.
As a matter of fact, the voltage in our speakers is
10 times less than the static electricity that builds up
on the surface of a CRT television screen.
How do MartinLogan speakers hold up over a
long term in the humidity of tropical climates?
We should tell you that MartinLogan indeed has
a very substantial number of customers in tropical
regions of the world. Our speakers have been
serving them nicely for many years. This concern
may have come from our earlier design of speakers,
which were charged continuously. Since 1993, all
of our speakers have been designed so that they
t
rouBlesHootIng
No Output
• Check that all your system components are
turned on.
• Check your speaker wires and connections.
• Check all interconnecting cables.
• Try hooking up a different set of speakers. The
lack of output could point to a problem with
other equipment in your system (amp, pre-amp,
processor, etc.)
Weak or no Output from Electrostatic Panel
• Check the power cord. Is it properly connected
to the speaker and to the wall?
• Is the power cord connected to a switched outlet?
• Dirt and dust may need to be vacuumed off.
Please see the FAQ regarding vacuuming.
• Check the binding posts. Are the dirty? If so
clean them with rubbing alcohol.
• Check the binding posts. Are the loose? Make
sure they are firmly hand-tightened.
only charge the panel while music is being played.
This improvement has made a tremendous difference
in the consistent performance of our product. There
may be a little more maintenance involved in humid
regions when not in an air conditioned environment.
Simply enough, the concern is to keep the
electrostatic panels dust free. Humidity will combine
with any dust on the panel to make it slightly
conductive. This will result in a slight pathway for
the charge to leave the membrane of the speaker.
The solution is simple. They only require occasional
vacuuming with a strong vacuum hose.
S h o ul d I unp lu g my sp e ake rs durin g a
thunderstorm?
Yes, or before. It's a good idea to disconnect all
of your audio/video components during stormy
weather.
• Has a foreign substance (such as a household
cleaning chemical or soap) been applied to the
panel? If so the speaker will require servicing.
Popping and Ticking Sounds, Funny Noises
• These occasional noises are harmless and will
not hurt your audio system or your speakers. All
electrostatic speakers are guilty of making odd
noises at one time or another. It is the result
of airborne contaminates (most notably dust).
Vacuuming is recommended.
• These noises may be caused by dirt and
dust collecting on the speaker, by high humidity.
• Dirt and dust may need to be vacuumed off.
Please see the FAQ regarding vacuuming.
Muddy Bass
• Check placement. Try moving the speakers
closer to the front and sidewalls.
• Possibly means low electrostatic panel output.
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